The pink slip

When French people used to take their driving exam, at the end, if they passed, they would be given the "pink copy" of a form and that meant they had been successful.
Now, because it is so difficult to pass and people get violent when they don't pass especially when they're on their 2nd or 3rd time trying, results are mailed to you a few days later.
I got mine today in the mail:

You must have a minimum of 20 points to pass.  I had 20.5.  By the skin of my teeth.  Interesting, I got a 0 out of 3 for "know how to set up yourself and ensure security while driving".  i.e. I didn't check all my mirrors and show I was adjusting my seat before clicking my seat belt.  Maybe it's because I was too busy listening to Joe Inspector test his 6th grade English on me and smiling politely at his POODLE who came with him.
Yes, that's correct.  Did I mention this cost me almost 2 grand?
Anyways, who cares, it's over.  I love the final verdict on the form.  They circle either "favorable" i.e. we look favorably on your performance or "insuffisant" i.e. you can't cut the mustard.
To celebrate, I will eat a piece of torte aux blettes (swiss chard sweet torte) that I bought for myself at the bakery.

Palm Sunday

 Today Estelle played her oboe at mass with a small group of young musicians.  It was great!

 Meanwhile, this creative project was done by the children at "Eveil", which translates as "awakening" which is for kids who are essentially a bit young for CCD classes but to give them a little social group within the framework of CCD.  Léna helped to make this yesterday afternoon.

 The church looked so lovely today with all these enormous palm leaves!

 I think I've posted about this tradition before, but in France on Palm Sunday, the custom at the beginning of mass is that the entire parish is outside the church where the priest blesses the palms and the "buis", which is either boxtree or boxwood in English.  Also sometimes you see laurel branches or even olive branches around here.

 There's Léna lower right with green leggings and sandals.

 Here you see the children and parishioners holding up their palms and boxwood for the blessing as the priest walks around sprinkling holy water.

 Léna can be seen hiding behind the flora.  She loves her "teacher", Sophie.  You can't see Sophie but you can see her arm lovingly placed around Léna.

 It's an impressive sight, this tradition.  I am always impressed.

 Estelle, meanwhile, had a great (and musically educational) time playing in four of the different pieces - processional, hosana, offertory, and exit songs.  There were 3 violins, a cello, drums, a guitar, and a French horn (which p.s. is just a "horn" in France.  ha ha).

We had a great Palm Sunday!  After our meal, both girls headed out to different birthday parties.  One more week of school and then 2 weeks off!  Everyone is looking forward to a break.  Spring is here and Easter is almost here!  Yeah!

Semba

Last weekend, Léna had her turn to have the class mascot, Semba. 

 Basically its every parents headache.  Pressure to do more in an already jam-packed weekend, take photos everywhere, make your life look oh-so-fabulous.  And then print out the photos and paste them all into the Semba's "journal" for the class with witty comments.  In French.

 Léna and Estelle, however, LOVE having the class mascot!  Semba had to ride on the tram.

 

Semba had to go to Léna's music lesson.

 Daddy had to make crepes for Semba.

 Semba had to come to swimming lessons where he was reunited with other kids from Léna's class.

 By the way, Léna swims in that huge pool with no floatation devices whatsoever.  She can even swim down to the bottom to grab a swimring.  It amazes me - she's not even 5!

 Then Semba had to go to the ice rink!

 Here's our friend Caetan with the girls.

 Then Sema needed a concert and dance party.

 Sunday night, Semba fast asleep after his busy weekend.  Amen, the mascot weekend is OVER!

Voting in France

Last Sunday and today (they are always 2 rounds one week apart, even for presidential elections) were municipal elections in France.  Here's Estelle going to vote with Thomas:

 It's the most bizarre election process I have ever seen and the most horrible waste of paper you can imagine.  13 years later and I barely understand.  I am ashamed to say I don't want to.  I should, but I don't.

 Yes that is Estelle putting her paper ballot into a glass box.  In Nice, with a population of 350,000 people, the 5th largest city in the country, and they've got paper ballots.

 Anyways, our UMP mayor Estrosi got re-elected to no one's surprise.  But around the country the "Front National" which is like a crazy Tea Party-like group continues to gain a LOT of ground which is rather alarming.
Meanwhile:  one day Estelle has a playdate and her friend arrived with a rose for her:

 This is not the first time that Estelle has invited a little girl over for a Saturday afternoon playdate and the child has arrived with a single rose, wrapped in tissue, as a gift.  The first time was 4 years ago.  Now, again.  Learning about customs is a never-ending process.
 
When she left, she wrote this goodbye note on the easel.  This little girl was Estelle's best buddy at her "old" school and now they never see each other anymore.  They were so happy to be together again.

 And then, I found that Léna had been out "taking photos" with Estelle's camera again.  Above:  under the bed.  Below:  the fridge. [please note that this is just one part of my fridge.  If you don't see your photo, don't fret, it's there, it's just out of Léna's line of vision].

Well, we have just changed our clocks last night and so back to 6 hours time diff with VT and everyone on EST.  I keep thinking of my Dad who loved to holler out both the "new" time and the "real" or "old" time all day long the day after we changed the clocks.  He knew it drove people crazy and so he would bellow it out with a grin every chance he got.  I of course have taken on this habit but it loses it's flair in a bi-lingual home.

This weekend has been 100% full of events and work and I feel like the weekend never happened, especially since I had a migraine come on in the night Thurs/Fri and had to resort to my opium suppositories.  The French do so love their suppositories.  But opium at 3 a.m. is pretty wild, I have to say - and when you're that bad off you'll take anything, anyhow.  Plus I like thinking I am like Sherlock Holmes, known for his opium weakness.  :-)

Amourette

Here's a little 1+ minute video of Estelle playing and Léna "dancing".

Léna's Report Card

Léna got her "report card" today.  All good stuff.  Here's one trait they don't mention:    She on a daily basis will pass gas loudly like her own chain reaction at the kitchen table, grin from ear to ear and then holler out "Is there a motorcycle here?" and end by doubling over laughing at herself.

Le Lioran

 We spent a week skiing the last week of February in the Auvergne, in the Cantal, at a ski station called Le Lioran, which we had never been to.   We rented a small chalet in a very isolated spot.

 The girls did 6 days of ski lessons.  Above:  pre-first-day-skiing.  Below: post-skiing.

 The view from our chalet was incredible.  We were about 30 mins from the station, but as the crow flies much closer.  The skinny, winding rode to get way up to our place from the village was a slow process each day.

 We had a great time.  One day we were even brave enough to take the teleferique (gondola?) way up to the top of the Plomb du Cantal at 1855 meters high.

 Even Thomas managed his vertigo to get up there.  Interesting, skiing down is no problem for him.   It's just the ride up!

 Each day, when Léna was in her lesson, Estelle skied with us.

 The girls had a lot of fun.

 When Estelle was in her lesson, Léna had a chance to ski with us.  After the first few days, she really DID ski with us - up the chair lift and down the green trails!

 Meanwhile, back at the chalet, this is how things looked around the stove in the evenings.

 One day we had lunch in the village restaurant:  Potée Auvergnate:

 Here's Pascal, Léna's instructor after getting her "Bear" medal:  she was said to say goodbye.

 And Sebastien with Estelle, who got her 1st star.

 Our last day the weather was terrible.  It made for a hard, hard commute.  There were many accidents and the road to the station was closed for several hours.  Thomas had to put on, and remove, tire chains 3 times that day in bad conditions.  We have not divorced, thus we consider our marriage a success after that day.

 Here are some photos Estelle took during the week:  Sunrise at the chalet.

 Upstairs in the chalet - the little mezzanine where the girls beds were.

 Daddy getting dressed seems funny, when you're 7.

Here's Léna with Piou Piou, the mascot.

 Another great bonus was the Papi & Manou came for 2 days and stayed in the B & B just next door.  They brought us all our food for the entire week, plus lots of other stuff.  Whew!   Good thing they were around!

 There was so much snow, the girls enjoyed playing around the chalet each day when we returned.

 Nearby to our chalet, was a tiny cabin owned by the same Dutch couple that owned ours and the B & B.  A French family from Paris was in that cabin during the same week, with a daughter 2 months older than Estelle and a sweet 11-yr-old older brother.  Both parents were teachers.  We became friendly with them, and on our last night, they came over to our place for food and fun.

 Enjoying a few comforts of civilization with the girls up in the loft.

 See that woman with blue pants and blue hat, struggling with her bindings?  Who could that be.

 We played a LOT of card games.

 Tiny Léna on her tiny skis.

 Snow heaven:

 Nothing but fun for one week.    Thanks Le Lioran!